On Hwy-62, 43 miles West of Palm Springs. Twentynine palms did indeed surround Twentynine Palms when the community was named in the 1870s. Today there are far more palms, but only a few thousand people living in a settlement that is best utilized as an overnight base for early morning trips to the nearby Joshua Tree National Monument. With time to spare, take a look around the Historical Society Museum ( http://www.29palmshistorical.com ), 6136 Adobe Road, delving into the darkest corners of small-town desert life.